


The House That Silence Built

by Anatemnein



Category: Designing Women
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 08:16:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatemnein/pseuds/Anatemnein
Summary: Julia finds herself aware of the power of perception as her relationship with Reese continues to darken.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This story is about domestic violence, and contains (as the archive warnings note) allusions to rape. It's rated Mature for a reason.

~~~~

"Have you figured out what you're gonna wear to the benefit tonight, Julia?" Mary Jo asked from her seat at the counter as she sipped her coffee, glancing away form the newspaper in her hand.

Julia looked up from her desk, smiling tentatively and said demurely, "Yes, I think so. Took a couple of days for me to decide, but I think I made the right choice."

"What about Reese, is he going with us? You know J.D's coming, and Bill too, Charlene's out right now buying a new tie for him to wear this evening."

Julia smiled, remembering how excited Charlene looked as she bounded out the door some thirty minutes earlier, having anxiously announced that none of Bill's ties were suitable for the Atlanta Designer's Benefit they were attending this evening and that, given that awards were also going to be given out this evening for various professional achievements, Bill should really look his best.

"Well, I think so, I know he had a few depositions and some things to take care of at the office, but he told me he'd meet us here just before seven so we could all leave together. J.D and Bill are doing the same, right?"

Mary Jo nodded, looking back at her newspaper. "Oh yeah, J.D seems fairly excited to be getting out of his sports clothes and into a suit for a change. Kind of a surprise, he's not much of a dresser, but I suppose men do like a change every now and again the way we women do."

Julia laughed and turned to see the backdoor opening and Anthony wiping his hands as he bounded inside, crossing the floor of Sugarbaker's and grabbing himself a mug. "Hey y'all, how's everything going?" he asked, looking at them curiously.

"Just fine, Anthony, everything get taken care of at the Robart's?" Mary Jo asked.

He nodded, grabbing a doughnut from the box Charlene had left on the counter that morning, silently thanking her for having the presence of mind to bring them, given that he'd woken up late and had to skip breakfast. "Uh-huh, their furniture is where they wanted it, so we are locked and loaded" he said, his brow shining with sweat from the hours he and his crew had spent moving the Robart's pieces from the van to their home.

"Anthony, you remember about the benefit this evening?" Julia called from her seat behind her desk.

Anthony nodded hastily, grabbing a napkin as he took a bite of his doughnut and headed toward the sofa. "I sure do, I have my suit laid out at home already. Thanks again for inviting me Julia; I'm still not sure how warmly the committee will receive the delivery man of a local design firm, but I guess we'll find out."

She smirked, shaking her head at him and crossing the floor to refill her mug. "I don't care what they think, I told them that you are as much a part of our success as anyone else here and if they don't like it, well, then they know what to do with their opinion."

Anthony chuckled as Mary Jo shook her head in disbelief. "I still cannot believe you got on the phone the other evening and told them that you read the invitation over again and you still couldn't find the fine print that said 'no delivery men' on the back, Julia" she said as she folded up her paper and laid it on the counter.

Julia smirked coyly and shot Mary Jo a look. "It should be no surprise, you know I treat all those stuffy groups same as I do those Beaumont people, and since this is an award ceremony/benefit for Atlanta's finest designers, there's no good reason Anthony should not be there to celebrate our success, or at least enjoy a good meal, lest we fail to win anything."

The door to Sugarbaker's opened and Reese stepped inside, as Mary Jo called out, "Hey Reese!"

"Well hi, good lookin', what are you doing here?" Julia said as she crossed the floor and reached toward him, planting a kiss on his lips and smiling up at him.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by to tell you I can't make it tonight" he said, watching her face fall in disappointment.

Julia shifted, and pouted up at him. "You're kidding, well what happened, I told you weeks ago--"

"Listen, Julia, now don't give me a hard time about this, you know that's how things go at the office, I don't make the rules. We've got a client to attend to later tonight and it's the only time he can make it into town, so I can't come to the benefit like you wanted. Maybe I'll take you to lunch or something" he said, cocking his head at her.

Julia brightened a little and said, "Oh well, alright, what day are you free?"

"Well, I don't know yet, Julia, I don't have my date book with me, so I'll have to figure that out later. Now I've got to go, you'll have a fine time by yourself, everybody else is going with you."

Julia looked at the ground and shuffled her feet. "Well, I know, hun, it's just that I wanted to share tonight with you, that's all."

Reese shifted and flashed her an annoyed look. "Julia, come on, now we talked about your complaining" he said, his scolding look making her feel like a naughty five year old.

She shifted slightly, embarrassed that her friends were within earshot and most certainly listening. "Reese, I'm not--"

"Well, whatever, darlin', listen, I'm already late, I've got to go, I'll call you later and we'll work out the details of our lunch, okay?" he said, planting a kiss on her lips and opening the door as she waved a half-hearted goodbye to him.

"Well, alright, darlin', don't worry about me, I'll have a good time, but I'll miss you tonight" she called as he walked out the door.

"Have fun, Julia" he called back, waving at her and disappearing down her driveway.

Julia shut the door, slumping slightly in disappointment as she slowly made her way back to the kitchen.

"Well it's too bad Reese won't be able to join us" Mary Jo said, looking at Julia sympathetically.

Julia waved a hand at her and shook her head. "Oh, it's alright, Reese is right, I'm too hard on him and I complain too much, he did the best he could do and anyway, one night alone won't kill me."

"You know, Julia, I don't have a date myself; I know we're all sitting at one table but you're welcome to sit next to me if you want" Anthony offered, feeling rather sorry for her as she looked at him kindly.

"Well, thank you, Anthony, I might just take you up on that offer" she said, nudging him playfully as she crossed the floor and returned to her desk, sipping her coffee slowly.

"Charlene should be back in a little while, and Suzanne and I are going to leave to go to the fabric store once she gets back from her hair appointment" Mary Jo said, nodding to Julia.

Julia smiled at her and shuffled her paperwork back into a neat stack, opening her pen to begin writing down some ideas for a breakfast nook that she wanted to pitch to a potential customer that had come in to see her earlier. "That's fine, Mary Jo, I'll just be working on my sketches and I expect it will be quiet this afternoon. Y'all go on, don't worry about me" she said, smiling at both her and Anthony.

"We convene here to begin our journey to the great Atlanta convention tonight?" Anthony cracked, rising from the sofa and making his way toward the backdoor as he looked at her over his shoulder.

Julia smirked and shot him a wry look. "Yes Anthony, I will be primped and ready" she called as he nodded at her and closed the back door.


	2. Chapter 2

The door opened slowly and noiselessly as Anthony brushed a hand down the front of his tuxedo, looking around nervously. It was still dark downstairs, everyone else having not yet arrived, and he closed the door softly behind him, wondering if he should have just endured the expense and rented a tux. He looked down at the dark linen suit he had on, checking for the umpteenth time to make sure there were no bits of dust or hair sticking to the fabric. He had been excited to go all week, but as he'd cast a glance at himself in his hallway mirror before leaving his apartment he wondered to himself if he wasn't a little out of his league at an event like this, especially considering that he would be the only delivery man there. He had to smile to himself as he thought of Julia's righteous indignation at the idea that he not be invited as she'd gone on another of her famous tangents about how he was 'one of them', and deserved to be there as much as anyone else. Anthony didn't always feel like he was, but it warmed him to know she didn't see things that way.

He sat for a few minutes on the sofa, waiting for Julia to come down before hearing a small creak on the staircase, as he whipped his head around to see where the noise came from. Behind him, Julia was descending the stairs slowly, fiddling with a diamond earring as her dark, silk dressed swept regally over the carpeted stairs, the front just a few inches shorter, allowing for a small glimpse of her heels as the back floated on the ground behind her.

"Oh, Anthony, I didn't see you there, I hope you haven't been waiting too long" she said as she reached the bottom step, smoothing her hand down the front of her dress and looking at him with a surprising level of shyness as she caught the expression on his face as he looked at her.

"Oh, oh no, Julia, I'm fine, I just got here, you look good, by the way, I mean, very...very professional" he stammered, looking impressively at the dark hair that sat in an updo on the top of her head, a few loose tendrils framing her face as she brushed a loose hair off of her forehead.

Julia smiled bashfully, giggling a little at the nervous, deer-in-the-headlights expression that she saw plastered to his face. "Anthony, you're not nervous, are you, it's just gonna be a fun night, don't put so much pressure on yourself" she said, patting his hand as she sat on the coffee table beside the sofa.

Anthony laughed awkwardly, nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, Julia, I guess I am a little nervous" he said, fiddling with his hands and wiping his sweaty palms over his pant legs.

She bit back a smirk as she said, "Well, don't worry, once we get there we'll have a good time, you'll see." She turned her head as the door opened behind them, and saw everyone filing inside, Suzanne dragging Arthur, the 85 year old man she'd been dating for a few weeks, inside as she shut the door.

"Arthur's breathing tube got fixed up so he's coming with us tonight" she said, shoving him beside the staircase and brushing at the shoulder of his jacket.

Julia and Anthony rose to their feet and nodded politely at him as Bill said, "Well, I do believe that no matter what happens tonight, we have managed to assemble the finest looking women in Atlanta together under one roof."

"Bill" Charlene said, nudging him and rolling her eyes playfully as J.D pinched Mary Jo's waist and looked down at her. "Yeah, you know, they do grind our gears but they clean up alright" he said as Mary Jo rolled her eyes beside him.

"Lord, J.D you spend one hour in anything other than khaki's and a polo and you're already insufferable" Mary Jo said teasingly, watching him smirk at her as she rolled her eyes at him again.

The door to Sugarbaker's suddenly opened and Reese stepped inside, cocking his head at Julia.

"Well, hi darlin', what are you doing here, I thought you had a meeting?" Julia asked, gliding over to where he was standing.

"Well, I do, but I thought I'd come by on my way there and take a look at all of you. Suzanne, have you raided the nursing home again?" he asked, shooting a curious glance at Arthur, who seemed slightly perplexed about what exactly was going on.

"Very funny" Suzanne muttered as she rolled her eyes, wiping at the sleeve of Arthur's coat.

"Well, darlin', I'm so glad you could come by and see us before we leave" Julia said, softly, brushing the fabric of his jacket gently as she smiled at him.

"Well, I figured you'd probably appreciate the effort, now take a step back so I can get a good look at you" he said as Julia stepped away from him, twirling as her dress swept the floor behind her.

"What do you think, darlin', I look okay?" she asked shyly.

"We'll meet y'all there" Mary Jo called, opening the door behind Reese as everyone filed out behind her. Anthony paused awkwardly, then realized he should probably go too and stepped outside, deciding to just wait on the other side of the door, since they were taking Julia's car.

Julia looked up at Reese expectantly as he surveyed her outfit, wiggling a little and doing her best to look sexy for him and remind him of what he would be missing out on.

"Oh, well, it's not bad, not bad at all, you don't think it's a little too young, though?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he looked at the shiny fabric that swept down her shoulders and onto the floor.

"Too young, well what do you mean?" Julia asked, feeling somewhat miffed at the suggestion as she tugged self-consciously at her outfit.

"You know, Julia, I mean, that sort of thing is usually meant for someone a little less...well..." he trailed off, looking her over again.

"Less what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well less long in the tooth" he finished, looking at her with an expression that suggested he was anticipating a blow up on her part at what he'd said.

"Long in the tooth, well I don't think so. If I'd known you were going to come over here just to tell me that I'm old then--"

"Now see, Julia, this is what I'm always talking about, I offer a little constructive criticism and you blow up at me. Now I just asked if it wasn't a little too young for you, I never said you should be putting your other foot in the grave, darlin'. Besides, you didn't give me a chance to compliment your hair, now that looks very nice" he said, looking at it appreciatively.

Julia demured, shifting awkwardly, still upset over what he'd said. "Well, at least something looks vaguely acceptable" she said in annoyance, rolling her eyes as she fluffed a hair out of her face.

"Listen, I'm not one to lie to you, I'm telling you the truth because it's in your best interest. The dress is a little young but the hair looks nice, better than you used to do it, and you know if I didn't love you so much I wouldn't care enough to tell you one way or the other" Reese said, gently placing his hands on her arms and flashing her a coy look.

Julia relented a little more, half-smiling at him as she looked up at him and said, "Well---"

"Look, darlin', I'm already late, so how about just giving me a kiss and having yourself a nice time, okay?" Reese said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Well...well alright, Reese darlin', you have a good time at your meeting" she said, kissing him gently.

He let his arms fall and opened the door for her, motioning for her to go first before closing the door behind them and following her onto the driveway, giving her one last goodbye kiss before sliding behind the wheel of his car and driving away.

Julia slid behind the steering wheel of her vehicle and started the engine, looking at Anthony apologetically. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Anthony, I hope I wasn't too long."

"Oh no, Julia, it was only a couple minutes, besides, I utilized my time wisely and have pre-planned every course of my meal from the dinner to the desert" he said, cocking an eyebrow and looking at her seriously as they backed out of her driveway.

She giggled and shook her head as they talked comfortably with one another, cruising off into the dark Georgia night.


	3. Chapter 3

The venue was dark and crowded as they all stepped inside, huddling together and slowly walking between the tables to find their place cards, finally sitting down at a table a few feet away from the stage, and in clear view of the buffet. Julia had a hunch they wouldn't sweep every category as far as awards went, but she'd gotten a whiff of the offerings when they'd passed by the kitchen and felt secure in the knowledge that they would at least be treated to an excellent dinner.

They settled into their seats when Anthony turned, spotting the bar in the corner and nudging Julia gently. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked, nodding toward the area where several bartenders were swiftly moving back and forth, serving drinks.

Julia looked over her shoulder and pondered the suggestion for a moment before turning back to him and saying, "You know what, Anthony, I'll do you one better, how about we both go up there? I'm dying to check what they've got to offer."

He nodded gamely, everyone else deciding to wait to order drinks until after they'd perused the buffet as Julia and Anthony marched over to the bar and Anthony ordered a Modello for himself and a Whiskey Sour for Julia. He looked over at her as she seated herself atop a bar stool and glanced curiously at the decor and said to her, "That's a nice dress, Julia."

Julia looked at him in surprise, taking a minute to absorb what he'd just said before smiling and looking down self-consciously, brushing a hand over the fabric. "Oh, why thank you, Anthony. It's nothing special, just a little something, I've probably had it too long."

"Looks pretty new to me" he said simply, struggling not to look at her in a way that was too appreciative, given her status as his boss.

"Oh no, well, I suppose it's not that old, I mean, I think it was probably meant for someone a little younger, if you catch my drift. It just so happens that I was feeling very bold when I bought it, which is probably more to my detriment than anything else" she replied as she took her drink from the bartender and slowly made her way back to the table, Anthony falling in line beside her.

"Nothing wrong with feeling a little bold if you can pull it off" he said gamely, setting his beer on the table and pulling out her chair.

Julia smiled shyly, casting a curious glance at the side of his face as she sat down, wondering if there was more to that remark than just friendly intent. She shrugged the thought off as soon as it came; Anthony had been working with her for four years and had never shown any interest in her, and she figured her nerves and his forwardness was the excitement talking as she took a sip of her drink.

Before long they were digging into their dinners, enjoying the various offerings of pasta and seafood, taking turns ribbing one another and exchanging pleasant conversation as awards were handed out left and right, people collecting their trophies excitedly before the stage was turned over to bidding on various donated pieces of furniture, whose proceeds would go to the local food bank.

"It's too bad we didn't win anything" Charlene said softly, taking a bite of her green beans as she looked sadly at everyone.

"Oh, Charlene, we're just here as window decoration. I told you, we're too small a firm to be given any sort of big accolades, this is just for us to enjoy the night" Julia said, leaning over the table as she grabbed the flute of champagne she'd taken from the trey of a nearby waiter after having downed her whiskey sour.

"Now now, Julia, you told me that I deserved to be at this banquet, and if I--a lowly delivery boy--deserve to rub elbows with some of Atlanta's elite, I'm pretty sure we deserve to get at least one stinkin' trophy" Anthony said, looking at her pointedly.

"Yeah, Anthony's right, I mean, we work hard, so what if we're small?" Mary Jo asked loudly, J.D nudging her quickly and shushing her.

"Mary Jo, I told you to knock it off with the cocktails, now that's your last one" he said, looking around in embarrassment, praying no one had overheard her voice trilling loudly over everyone else's.

"You can't cut me off, I cut myself off" she snapped, pointing a finger at his chest.

"Mary Jo!" Julia hissed, looking at her sternly as Charlene grabbed Mary Jo by the elbow and hauled her to her feet.

"I think I'll take her to get some cool air" Charlene said, disappearing with Mary Jo out onto the balcony as Julia shook her head, leaning back in her seat.

"How about some dessert?" J.D asked, shaking his head and looking at everyone as he rose to his feet.

"Right behind you" Bill answered swiftly, following closely behind J.D and surveying the dessert table.

"Well, Julia, how about it?" Anthony asked, looking over at Arthur to see he'd fallen asleep and that Suzanne was off at the buffet, already helping herself to some ice cream.

Julia shook her head demurely, waving a hand at him. "No thank you, Anthony. No, I've got a few pounds I need to shed, I think I'll pass."

"Are you sure, it's only one evening..." he said hesitantly, looking her over briefly and wondering where she saw pounds in need of shedding.

She cocked a brow and looked at him carefully. "Come on, Anthony, you know a minute on the lips is forever on MY hips, plus, with this dress I'd be wise to avoid anything too heavy."

He shrugged, rising slowly to his feet and looking at her closely. "Well alright, flag me down if you change your mind."

She smiled, nodding and turning back to her drink as she watched the goings on around her. She was glad she'd come. In spite of the minor hiccups she's experienced earlier, this was turning out to be a very pleasant evening, and she hoped she'd see Reese soon enough so she could tell him all about it.


	4. Chapter 4

"That sure was some evening last night" Mary Jo said wearily, rubbing her temple as she popped two more aspirin in her mouth.

Julia looked up and raised a brow at her, saying "Mary Jo, I told you, you need to take it easy with the drinks. You always get like this when we go out--you have no tolerance."

"Thanks Julia" Mary Jo mumbled, feeling her head spin as she looked hopelessly at the clock and saw that it read only 12:15. She rose slowly to her feet, grabbing her sketchbook for the client whose office she was redecorating, and shuffled over to the door to head over there to show him her ideas as she flashed Julia a curious look. "Where're you going?"

Julia smiled at Mary Jo over her shoulder, taking out her makeup compact and laying it on her desk excitedly as she fished for her lipstick. "Reese and I are having lunch together this afternoon, I can't wait to tell him how everything went" she said happily, smiling to herself.

"Oh yeah, that'll be nice, it's too bad he had to miss it. Now I'll be gone and Suzanne and Charlene won't be back for a couple hours..."

"It's okay, Mary Jo. Anthony is free for a few hours and said he'd be happy to hold down the fort for us, and anyway, I won't be gone long" Julia said, reapplying her lipstick and checking her hair and makeup. As she did, Anthony sauntered in through the back door and Mary Jo nodded in his direction, mumbling a hungover goodbye as she stalked outside with her tail between her legs and her head hammering.

"You ready to go, Julia, I'll be okay here" Anthony said gamely, sitting at the bar stool by the kitchen as he looked at her carefully, watching her scrutinize herself.

"Oh no, Anthony, Reese is gonna be picking me up here, he should be here shortly" she said, carefully placing her things back in her purse and smiling kindly at him.

"Okay" he said as the phone rang. Julia jumped to her feet, hastily making her way over to Charlene's desk and lifting the receiver to her ear. "Sugarbaker's" she said simply, stepping aside as Anthony laid a few invoices on Charlene's desk and pilfered through the pile of phone messages she'd left scribbled on yellow sticky notes and stuck in various places.

"Julia, it's me, listen, I don't have time to pick you up from the office, just meet me at the restaurant in 15 minutes, I've got some things I have to take care of after lunch, so I don't have that much time" Reese said briskly into his car phone.

"Oh, well darlin', we can always cancel if it's too much trouble--" Julia started, feeling guilty for inconveniencing him.

"Julia, I'm already half way to the restaurant, if I wanted to cancel I would've just said so, just hurry up and get over here and I'll get us some drinks while I wait for you."

"Oh, well alright darlin', I'll see you there" Julia said softly, placing the receiver back in its cradle and looking up at Anthony, who had overheard the exchange on by chance, since he was standing right next to her.

"You want me to take you over there, Julia, I could pick up some petty cash on the way" he offered, looking at her sympathetically.

"Oh no," she said, throwing her coat on hastily and waving a hand at him, "I'll be alright, I've just got to get myself in gear so I don't make Reese late."

"Well okay" he said hesitantly, watching her disappear in a flurry out the front door. 


	5. Chapter 5

Julia stepped hurriedly inside the restaurant, quickly making her way over to the podium where the greeter was standing and saying politely, "I'm here to meet someone, a Mr. Reese Watson."

"Right this way, ma'am, he was just asking about you" the young man replied, leading the way to their table.

"Oh, I hope I haven't made him wait" Julia said nervously, fluffing her hair self consciously as they passed a pane of glass atop one of the booths on their way across the room.

"He's only been waiting a few minutes" the boy replied quietly as they rounded the corner and he pointed her in the direction of their table.

Julia smiled happily, seeing Reese raise his eyes curiously at her from behind the rim of his beer glass, which he was already sipping from. "Well, I was wondering when the wind might blow you in" he said playfully, watching as she sat down.

"Reese" she said coyly, smirking and looking around for her drink.

"Oh damn, that's right, I forgot to order you your drink" Reese said, shaking his head.

"Oh, that's alright," Julia said, laughing and looking at the young man who was staring at her expectantly, "I'll just have a water with lemon."

The young man nodded his head politely and disappeared after handing her a menu. Julia fished through her purse for her glasses, putting them on and studying the lunch menu carefully. "Now, let's see darlin', what are you having?"

"I've got an appetizer already in the making if that damn chef would hurry up with it. I'll probably just have a steak or somethin'" Reese said, casting a glance at the door to the kitchen.

"Oh, oh, well I suppose a salad is fine for me, maybe something hearty with blue cheese" Julia said, perusing the salad offerings as she fiddled with her necklace.

"Sure" Reese answered plainly, leaning back slightly as the waiter placed his order of mozzarella sticks and garlic dip in front of him.

"Well that looks good" Julia said, leaning over curiously and looking at the plate as he munched on one, the smell of fresh garlic wafting over the table and into her nose.

"Steak and rice for me, and a salad with blue cheese dressing for her" Reese said to the waiter, who was scribbling furiously in his notebook.

"With olives and croutons please" Julia said shyly, not wanting to rush the young man. He disappeared into the kitchen to put their orders in as Reese took another stick of mozzarella from the small plate in front of him, swirling it in the garlic dip.

"Ah, croutons, I hate em, I have no clue how you eat those things, Julia" Reese said, scrunching up his nose.

"Oh you know me, I like a little crunch in my salad" she answered playfully, watching him flag down their waiter on his way out of the kitchen.

"A to-go box, for me please, I'll have to be leaving soon" Reese said, watching as the boy walked a few feet away and returned with a large Styrofoam box for his leftovers.

"Already, we've barely just sat down" Julia said, trying not to sound too upset at the thought of him leaving. She shifted awkwardly in her seat, looking curiously at the appetizer that he was eating.

"Darlin' I told you I didn't have much time, how about telling me about your evening instead of complaining to me?" Reese said, leaning back as the waiter set his steak in front of him and took the now empty appetizer plate away.

"Oh, well, alright, well it was a very nice time" Julia said, smiling happily at her salad, feeling somewhat regretful at the fact that she'd rushed her order as the smell of Reese's lunch wafted into her nose. Secretly she'd been hoping to get a bite of his appetizer as well, but didn't want to take any food from him. She felt guilty for even being here with him, knowing how busy he was and feeling selfish for forcing him out to lunch with her. "We didn't win anything" she added softly, still feeling a little disappointed.

"Well you couldn't have expected to, I mean, you ladies do fine, but you're the smallest design firm in Atlanta, you have to be realistic, darlin'" Reese said, cutting into his steak.

"Oh, I know, I told Charlene that, she was the one hoping we'd win" Julia said, stabbing at her salad and feeling very impressed with the blue cheese dressing they'd topped it with.

"At least you all had a nice meal" Reese said, taking another bite of his steak and following it with a swig of beer.

"Anthony very kindly sat with me for the evening, sort of a fill-in for you, so no worries, I had someone watching out for me in case anyone got too lecherous" Julia said teasingly, winking at him and taking another bite of her lunch.

"Well, that's kind of an odd sight, don't you think, I mean, he is your delivery man. Anyway, Paul from the office has a girlfriend who works in your field, she mentioned it to me."

"Oh...oh, well you know it didn't mean anything, I mean, you know Anthony, and he didn't have a date so it was more of a sympathy pairing" Julia said quickly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Wouldn't have to worry about people being lecherous if you'd ease up a bit on the form-fitting outfits, you know" Reese said, grabbing his to-go box and gently pushing the rest of his lunch into it, pausing momentarily to cut the steak up a little before shoving it inside.

"Form-fitting outfits?" Julia asked, looking at him in surprise, her fork halfway to her mouth before she stopped short.

"That dress, darlin', it was too young, I told you that. Do I have to worry about Anthony replacing me during our next date or am I allowed to show up to that?" Reese asked as he shut the lid of his box and eyed her carefully.

Julia set her fork on her plate and looked at him with wide, hurt eyes. "Reese, you know, you're starting to hurt my feelings, Anthony's just a friend, you know that. It's not my fault you couldn't come."

Reese arched an eyebrow at her. "So are you insinuating it's my fault, Julia?"

"Well, no, I--"

"You know, I told you when we started dating that work comes first and you come second. Now if you can't handle that, then I don't know what to tell you. And anyway, I don't see how you can go with Anthony and justify that when you told me showing up to that dance with Shannon a few years ago was unacceptable."

"I thought you were after her--"

"Well, maybe you're after Anthony, I mean, I certainly wouldn't know."

"Reese Watson--"

Reese paused, leaning forward before she could say anything else and saying softly, "Well, Julia, now you know how it feels to be unfairly accused, darlin'. I'm just making a point. You know me, I just can never let anything go. Now I've got to run, I'll call you later and see about taking you to dinner sometime later." He rose to his feet and grabbed his container, kissing her on the lips and stroking her cheek. "But you did look really good with your hair like that" he said, kissing her again before turning and walking toward the exit.

"Well...bye" Julia mumbled numbly, watching him walk out the door, and shifting awkwardly before poking her fork into her salad once again and continuing with her meal. She felt like the stereotypical 'kid-alone-at-the-lunch-table' as she surveyed the room and noticed the other diners, most of whom had company, eating happily together.

She had half a mind to be upset with Reese, but eventually brushed off the thought. He had told her, when they first began dating, that his work came first, and she had not only accepted this but appreciated his honesty. As a business woman, she knew firsthand the pressures of a demanding work environment, and thought to herself that she really should attempt to be more understanding about his lack of ability to commit to plans with her. Not only that, but she figured it might do her more good than harm to accept his criticisms as attempts to better her, rather than seeing them as negative. Really, when she thought about it, with her reputation as the Terminator securely intact, she had no room to complain about being on the receiving end of a few harsh words herself.

With that, Julia finished her lunch, left a $20 on the table to cover the bill and tip, and stepped back out into the parking lot. She slid behind the wheel of her car, stopping first at the bank to pick up the petty cash Anthony had mentioned earlier that they needed, and then going back to Sugarbaker's.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well great!"

"What's wrong, Suzanne?"

Suzanne slammed the door to the refrigerator closed as she rolled her eyes. "We're out of jam and I just bought a brand new pack of rice cakes, which I will now be forced to eat dry since apparently life refuses to allow me even a semblance of anything resembling joy!"

From her seat on the sofa, Julia rolled her eyes at her sister and laid her pencil on her sketchbook, tugging at her jacket as she crossed her legs and flashed her a look that insinuated that Suzanne's childish behavior was becoming too much for one afternoon. "Suzanne, I already told you, Anthony and I will be heading to the grocery store as soon as he gets back from making his delivery. I happen to not have had time to go this weekend, so we're going today so Anthony can help me load everything into the car."

"You and Reese have a good time this weekend, Julia?" Charlene asked curiously from her place behind her desk, lifting her brows.

Julia smiled kindly at Charlene and flashed her a look. "Yes, Charlene, yes we did" she answered smoothly. It had been a few weeks since the episode at the restaurant, and Reese had come over that same evening and apologized for being so gruff with her. When he invited her out to his cabin--a trip he knew he could make soon enough--she had accepted gleefully, and this past weekend had been spent with him, soaking up the brisk mountain air and enjoying each meal outdoors, except for dinner since the nights were too cold. If she were honest, the past few weeks had been quite pleasurable where Reese was concerned. He'd been attentive, had taken her out to lunch more, and had even managed to call her every once in a while just because.

"Aw, you're so lucky, Julia," Charlene sighed breathlessly, "I mean, Reese may be a busy guy, but he's just nuts about you."

Julia grinned cheekily to herself and blushed. "Well, I've certainly done nothing to deserve it" she said teasingly, winking at Charlene.

The door to Sugarbaker's opened, and Anthony stepped quickly inside, brushing the leaves off of his coat and looking at Julia expectantly. "You ready to go to the store, Julia?"

"Yes, Anthony, let me just grab my purse" she said, jumping to her feet and walking swiftly to her desk, grabbing the bag in one hand and stopping to let Anthony help her into her coat. "Y'all sure we don't need anything else?" she asked, looking at Charlene curiously.

"JAM!" Suzanne snapped from her place behind the counter.

Julia flashed her a glare and said, "Yes, thank you, Suzanne, it's been duly noted. Tell Mary Jo we'll be back soon" Julia said to Charlene. She knew Mary Jo had some sketches she wanted Julia's approval on; the job at hand was particularly big, and Mary Jo had confided she had no shortage of nervousness during lunch the other day.

"No worries, Julia, I'll hold down the fort!" Charlene said brightly as she watched the door close behind them.


	7. Chapter 7

"Julia?"

"Yes, Anthony?"

"What exactly is the purpose of rainbow muffin cups?"

Julia turned to see what Anthony was looking at, and flashed him a look as she bit back a smirk. "They're for birthday parties or for fun, Anthony. While they're not exactly my taste, I will lay claim to having bought a few fun-colored muffin cups during my years as a young mother" she said, turning and checking off another item on their list as she grabbed a few cans of condensed milk.

Anthony wrinkled his nose in confusion. "Uh-huh, I'm sure young Payne was thrilled at the sight of neon-bright foil wrappers for his birthday."

Julia turned back around and whacked Anthony on the arm as she set the cans in the shopping cart. "For your information, Anthony, we did not purchase cups of the rainbow variety, we purchased cups of the dinosaur and race car variety, if you must know."

Anthony cocked his head as he peeked at the shopping list over her shoulder, grabbing a bag of sugar as they slowly made their way out of the aisle. "What can I say, Julia? You women are--and will forever remain--a mystery to me."

Julia was about to fire off a smart reply when she heard a voice behind her.

"Well, Julia."

She whipped her head around curiously to see Reese standing a few feet away, walking slowly toward her, a shopping basket swinging casually in his hand as a rogue can of corn slid back and forth inside of it.

"Well, Reese, darlin', what are you doing here?" she asked, smiling happily at him.

He looked down at her with a look she could not discern before saying, "Well, Hattie Mae always has Wednesdays off, remember?"

She clicked her tongue and nodded playfully. "Ah yes, I do remember. Well, Mr. Watson, would you care to join us on our little excursion? Anthony and I were just grabbing a few bits for the refrigerator at work, just some odds and ends that we like to eat, as well as a few cleaning supplies for the storeroom."

Reese looked carefully at Julia, pausing briefly to look at Anthony before he laid a firm hand on her arm and smiled down at her. "No, darlin', but I would like to steal you away for a few minutes, if Anthony doesn't mind" he said, looking curiously at Anthony.

Before Julia could say anything, Anthony gently took the shopping list from her hand and said, "No worries. Julia, you can find me toward the back of the store whenever you're ready." He wandered off, the wheels of the cart squeaking softly in front of him as he searched the aisles for the next item on the list.

Julia turned back to Reese and shrugged, reaching for the hand that was not grasping her arm as she began to say, "So, darlin', what might I--"

Before she could finish, Reese tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her into an empty aisle, which wasn't hard to find, given that the store was rather deserted since it was a Wednesday afternoon.

"Reese, what are you doing?" Julia asked curiously, looking up at him with wide eyes that weren't exactly fearful. She didn't have the presence of mind to be fearful, nor had he ever given her a reason to be. He could be forceful at times, she knew, so she waited for him to say something as she felt the weight of his hand pressing hard into the delicate flesh of her arm.

"Julia, look at me" he said softly, his face close to her as he stared directly into her eyes.

"W-well, I am, darlin', what's this--"

"Do I look stupid to you?" he asked suddenly, cutting her off and tightening his grip.

Any words that may have found their way into her mouth became tangled as she looked curiously up at him, her brain whirling and not offering anything to say. Finally, she shook her head and stammered, "Well, no, darlin', why, did something ha--"

Reese leaned in closer still, his stare unwavering. "Well, you must really think so, _darlin_', because this is the second time I've caught you with Anthony" he said coldly, his eyes both unmoving and unblinking.

"Caught me--what--how...we're just shopping, you know--"

Before she could finish her sentence, Reese pulled back, looking carefully at her as he smirked and tightened the grip on her arm, causing her to wince in pain. "Boy, you really are something stupid, you know that, Julia? I mean, accusing me of cheating at that dance a few years ago just to go behind my back and give a little ass to your delivery man" he said icily.

Julia's mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at him, partially wondering if she had even heard him correctly. "E-excuse me?"

"You heard me, Sassy. You know what you've been doing. I mean, first the benefit, and now shopping together? Hell, why not go on and move in, I can direct you to the aisle with the condoms!" he snapped, waving his hands in the air.

Julia took in a few stuttering breaths before she fixed him with a stern, yet frightened, glare. "Reese, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I can tell you--"

With this, he jerked her foreward, pressing his face against her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "No, darlin', you won't know what's gotten into me if you keep making a fool out of me. When you can stop putting out, and start treating me like I deserve, maybe then I'll be ready to entertain your pretty little face again." Before she could even fathom a response, he let go of her arm and marched off, turning the corner and disappearing out of sight.

Julia stood alone in the empty aisle, taking a few breaths and trying to regain her composure when she heard the squeak of the shopping cart and turned to see Anthony walking toward her.

"Hey Julia, for bleach, you think 'Fancy Fresh' or--". He stopped short when he saw the look on her face and walked over to where she was, dropping the bottles in the cart and laying a gentle hand on her arm. "Julia, are you okay?" he asked, concern coloring his face.

She looked to her right again, at the far end of the aisle where Reese had disappeared to, and struggled to smile at him, shaking him off and stepping quickly aside so as not to be seen standing too close. "Yes, yes, I'm fine, just tired. We should really get back, I hope you managed to get everything" she said, her voice coming out hard and cold in an attempt to save face. "You really could've picked out the bleach yourself, Anthony, I mean it's only bleach."

Anthony stood still for a moment, confused as to what just transpired, before taking in a deep breath and saying, "Uh, yeah, sorry, Julia, I'll put the other bottle back." He grabbed it from the cart and shot her another concerned look before disappearing and leaving her alone to guard the items they had picked up.

Julia took in a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself, looking shakily at the items in front of her. She knew she need only get back to Sugarbaker's so she could manage to get a clear view of what just transpired. She thought that she was quite sure that she hadn't said anything to upset Reese, and surely she knew that her relationship with Anthony was nothing more than friendly, but she had to admit that being seen on his arm at the benefit, and being caught shopping together, certainly didn't look good.


	8. Chapter 8

A few days had passed since their altercation at the grocery store, and Julia had told no one. She had come back with Anthony that day, still feeling on edge but--unable to really justify it--had sent everyone home early with the explanation that she was tired and had a headache. Luckily, she'd been able to save face the next day by going through the motions as though nothing was wrong, and the others similarly followed suit, shrugging off her temporary moodiness and accepting her excuse.

"Hey Charlene."

Charlene looked up from her desk. "Yeah, Mary Jo?"

"What do you say we meet up for that Jimmy Buffet concert this weekend? Tickets go on sale tonight, 25% off to anyone who buys at the ticket teller downtown, today only."

Charlene bit back a smirk and cocked her head. "Gee, I don't know Mary Jo, I'm supposed to help Bill put the baby crib together this weekend..."

"Aw, c'mon, Charlene, you know he's got enough muscle to do it himself!" Mary Jo exclaimed, popping her eyebrows and shooting Charlene a pointed look.

Charlene slumped her shoulders, thought this over momentarily, and finally said, "Oh, alright, I'll ask Bill if it's alright and then call you and let you know."

"YES!" Mary Jo said, pumping her fist victoriously in the air. "One last hurrah before you have that little cherub of yours."

Charlene shook her head as Suzanne and Anthony step out of the storeroom, bickering with each other about the organization of the fabric swatches.

"I _told_ you, Suzanne, periwinkle belongs next to the violet swatches, it's practically the same thing" Anthony said, shooting her a glare as he sat down at his desk.

Suzanne huffed. "Anthony, I'm sorry, but you simply do not have the breeding required to be discerning of this type of thing. I do."

Anthony cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah, and what exactly is your breeding saying to you?"

"It's saying that you're wrong and that I was right to stick it with the purple swatches" Suzanne said, studying her nails carefully.

Julia looked up from her place at her desk and said, "Anthony, don't mind Suzanne. She's still stuck in the Dark Ages and believes that breeding has anything to do with intelligence. Putting the periwinkle with the violet is not only acceptable, but perfectly logical."

"THANK YOU" Anthony said loudly, shooting Suzanne a glare.

Suzanne rolled her eyes and picked up her nail file as the door swung open.

"While hello darlin'" Reese said, shooting a friendly smile at everyone before his eyes settled on Julia as he shut the door behind him.

"Hi Reese" the ladies called back as Julia slowly rose from her place at her desk and said, "Reese", as she walked toward him, unsure of how exactly she was supposed to handle this situation. She hadn't expected to see Reese at all, and hadn't had the nerve to pick up the phone and call him, his outburst having left her unable to figure out how to best approach the situation, if at all.

"Listen, Sassy, I was thinking maybe we'd do dinner Friday night, at our usual spot. I've got the rest of the evening free, just one more client to see that afternoon and then...I'm all yours" he said, leaning forward and giving her a kiss.

"Dinner?" she asked, shooting him a confused glance.

Reese let out a chuckle and said, "Yeah, you know, you wanted to spend more time together? Well here I am darlin', just like you wanted."

Julia narrowed her eyes and said, "Well, I don't know what gave you that idea but I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here."

Mary Jo and Charlene shot each other a confused glance as Suzanne said, "Oh, don't mind Julia, Reese, she was in a bad mood the other day too. Must be PMS."

"SUZANNE," Julia snapped, shooting her a glare, "PMS has absolutely nothing to do with my attitude."

Reese let out a incredulous laugh as he looked around and said, "Well fine, I guess I'll just go on home and have Hattie Mae make me something to eat."

"Julia" Mary Jo said, shooting Julia a look that suggested she was being unreasonable.

Julia crossed her arms in front of her. "You're really going to come in here and act like you and I didn't have it out at the grocery store the other day?"

"Have it out?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well if by have it out you mean that I pointed out a few things I thought you needed to hear, well then I guess so. And frankly, I don't think we should have this discussion in front of everyone, but if you want me to enlighten our friends about what exactly it was that I said, then I certainly will be happy to."

Reese watched as Julia paled, taking a slight step backward, her lower lip trembling a little as she studied him carefully. She looked away momentarily feeling him gently grab her hand.

"Listen, Sassy, I've got to go back to the office, just give me a call later on and let me know what you want" he said gently, giving her a kiss and stepping outside, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Julia, what the hell was that about?" Mary Jo asked, shooting Julia a disbelieving look as she hopped up from her desk and walked over to the sofa, sitting down beside Suzanne.

"Yeah, Reese was only trying to take you to dinner" Charlene said, looking curiously at Julia as she walked back to her desk.

"You heard what I said, Reese and I had a fight the other evening, and I do not wish to speak to him."

"Oh come on, Julia, this is just like that time at the dance a couple years ago, or at that retreat when we hired that nanny to watch the kids" Mary Jo said, looking at Julia accusingly as she plopped her feet on the sofa.

"Need I remind you that you all _also_ were upset with the way _our_ men ogled that nanny?"

"Yeah, but we got over it before you did, you were the last one to kiss and make up" Charlene said, looking over at Julia as she plopped into the chair beside the sofa.

_"By a few seconds!"_ Julia said, glaring at all of them.

"Julia, the only point that anyone is trying to make here is that you tend to have an attitude, and Reese is frequently caught in the crossfire" Suzanne said, blowing at her nails and checking for errors as she laid her nail file in the table in front of her.

"What was the argument about anyway?" Mary Jo asked, narrowing her eyes.

Julia flushed and looked at the desk before mumbling, "It's really none of your business."

"So you really did overreact" Mary Jo said, shooting Charlene a look.

"I did no--"

"Julia, just call Reese and talk this out, it's probably not even that bad" Charlene said.

"Reese is perfect for you, and certainly the sort of guy we all wished we had at one time or another" Mary Jo said, lifting herself slowly off the sofa and shuffling back to her desk.

Julia sighed heavily and watched as Charlene walked back to her desk, listening as she said, "You two are perfect for one another, Julia, don't let this be a big thing if it doesn't have to be."


	9. Chapter 9

Her tires crunched slightly over the bits of gravel as Julia pulled into Reese's driveway, looking up for a moment at his large, looming house as the moonlight fell over it, partially hidden by the rooftop. She opened her car door and stepped outside, hearing Reese's engine cut off as he stepped out of his car. They'd met that evening for dinner after she caved--with much prodding by her friends--and called him on Thursday evening. After a few icy moments at the beginning of their phone call, Julia eventually warmed up, and dinner had been equally as wonderful, and she smiled as Reese took her hand and led her inside, dropping her coat on the rack and pointing her to the coffee set that Hattie Mae had left on the coffee table.

"Some espresso to warm up, darlin?" he said, watching her take a seat and pour herself a cup, before pouring him some as well.

"Dinner was wonderful, Reese, thank you" she said, looking happily up at him as he sat down beside her.

"My pleasure, darlin', I had Hattie Mae make us some coffee before she went home, to finish the evening off."

"Speaking of finishing things off, I'll have to be heading home soon, I've had a lot of late nights this past week" Julia said, looking gently at him.

Reese stroked her cheek gently and cocked his head. "Now, come on, darlin', how about staying a little late, it's Saturday tomorrow, no one will know if you sleep in."

"Reese," Julia giggled, shaking her head, "I'll know, and I won't like it very much."

Reese pouted dramatically at her and slid closer, slowly teasing an arm around her shoulders.

"Reese" Julia said again, giggling and trying to push him away.

"Come upstairs" he whispered in her ear, grabbing her hand and standing, pulling her to her feet.

Julia took in a slow breath as she rose to her feet, already familiar with this routine and remembering other nights when she'd ignored her desire to go home and had caved in to his pressure. "Darlin, I'm really tired tonight, how about I come over tomorrow? And anyway, I can wear that cute new number I bought if I come over then" she said, throwing him a seductive look.

Before she could say anything else, he tossed her over his shoulder and marched playfully upstairs, grabbing her thighs for fun and sliding a hand up her skirt.

"Reese Watson!" she cried in a semi playful protest, "put me down!"

He finally did, placing her firmly on the carpet in his bedroom and closing the door.

"Reese" she said teasingly, trying to push him aside, but feeling his arms wrap themselves intently around her waist as he lowered his face to her neck.

"Hmmm?" he mumbled as he teasingly bit the skin there, slowly walking her toward the bed.

"Darlin, I really am rather tired" she said again, feeling her legs hit the mattress of his bed as she tumbled onto it in surprise.

"I wouldn't worry about that" he said, lowering himself onto her as he threw his coat across the room and undid his tie, trailing kisses down her neck.

"I'm really not in the mood--" she started to say, Reese cutting her off as he pressed his mouth intensely against hers and kissed her.

"Darlin," he said softly, looking down at her, "you want me to be happy, don't you?"

Julia paused, unable to think of anything to say before nodding meekly.

"Well, when I'm with you, I am happy" he said, kissing her again.

Julia felt him taking her dress off, but felt as though she were watching herself, as though what was happening was not really happening. She wasn't sure why. She and Reese had shared a bed many times before, but this time felt like some of the other nights she remembered, and she thought to herself that she'd be wise to run a hot bath when she got home, as the same soreness between her legs would likely be there again.


	10. Chapter 10

Charlene danced in her chair as she scribbled notes on her invoices, taking the time to turn her pen toward her face and sing into it as Aretha Franklin drifted from the tabletop radio on her desk. She heard the tapping sound of Julia's heels as she and Anthony exited the storeroom, and turned down her radio discreetly.

"Julia, Reese called a few minutes ago while you and Anthony were in the storeroom, said he can't make it to lunch today" she said, laying her pen on her desk.

Julia waved her hand and said, "Oh, that's alright, I've got a lot to do here anyway", as she laid stack of fabric samples on her desk and sat down.

"Anthony, don't forget about those office supplies, we're running low on almost everything" Charlene called over to him as he set his empty mug in the sink.

"Okay, Charlene. Julia, you want me to drop you at the bank on the way there, I thought you said you needed some petty cash" Anthony said, walking toward the door and grabbing his coat.

Julia looked at him somewhat nervously and shook her head. "Oh no, Anthony, that's alright, I'll just go a little later."

"We've got those clients coming in later, Julia" Charlene said, glancing down at her calendar.

"Oh, oh right" Julia said, laughing half-heartedly, "well, well no worries then, I'll just go tomorrow."

"Are you sure, Julia, we're kind of low..." Anthony said hesitantly, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it, we can make it until tomorrow" Julia said quickly, turning away from him and shuffling her paperwork, opening the lid of her pen in an attempt to end the conversation.

Anthony shrugged, throwing Charlene a curious look as he said, "Well okay, I'll see y'all in a little bit" and closed the door behind him.

Charlene looked down at her desk and quickly snatched a sticky note off of her desk as she looked over at Julia. "Oh Julia, I forgot to mention, Reese asked you to call him at the office, said he felt bad about missing lunch. He wanted you to...call him back about 30 minutes ago..." she finished, trailing off sheepishly as Julia looked up in alarm.

"Charlene, I can't believe you didn't just come get me" she said tersely, snatching up the phone on her desk and frantically punching in his office number.

"Sorryyyyy" Charlene mumbled, watching as Julia waited impatiently for an answer at the other end of the line. Finally, the receiver clicked in Julia's ear as Reese's secretary answered, and patched her through to his desk.

"Well, hello, Julia, finally found time for me, did you?" Reese asked playfully as he picked up the phone.

"Hi darlin', I'm so sorry, Charlene forgot to tell me you called, it's too bad I didn't get to enjoy you over lunch today" Julia said softly into the receiver, tapping her pen nervously.

Reese chuckled as he took a bite of his sandwich and wiped his mouth. "Well, darlin', that's okay, I've noticed you've put on a couple pounds. It's probably better for me to scale back on those lunches and take you on a walk instead" he said, chuckling again as he took another bite of his lunch.

Julia looked down at her lap self-consciously, pulling at the fabric and looking curiously at her thighs to see if they were indeed straining her skirt. "Why Reese, I don't believe I have, hun--"

"Well, that's the thing about weight, we never think we gain it until someone comes along and loves us enough to set us right. Anyway, darlin', how about we meet up for dinner tonight, you know The Rooftop has that salad menu that you love" Reese said jovially. "'How does 7 work for you?"

Julia looked down again self-consciously as she said, "Oh, yes, sure, that sounds lovely, I'll see you there" and gently laid the phone back in its cradle.

Anthony returned nearly an hour later with two bags of office supplies and a box of warm pastries tucked under his arm. "Hey y'all, fresh cakes and donuts courtesy of moi, which I shall set here atop the counter" he called out as he trudged toward the kitchen.

Mary Jo and Suzanne jumped up, having just returned from a meeting with a client which ran longer than expected. "Anthony, you're a lifesaver" Mary Jo said gratefully, shoving a petit four into her mouth as she refilled her coffee mug.

"Move" Suzanne barked, reaching across Mary Jo to grab a warm cookie and swiftly marching back to her seat on the sofa.

Mary Jo rolled her eyes and watched as Charlene gently picked up an oatmeal cookie before turning to Julia and saying, "Hey Julia, get in on this, it's only fresh once."

Julia looked up and shook her head, glancing back down to finish scribbling a note on a client's sketch as she said, "No thank you, Mary Jo, I've had more than enough food for today, and anyway, Reese is taking me to dinner tonight."

"More than enough food" Mary Jo said sarcastically, shaking her head as she walked back to her desk, coffee in one hand and petit four in the other. "The day you gain an ounce is the day I'll eat my shorts."

"Yeah Julia" Charlene said, walking gingerly back to her desk so as not to spill her coffee, "and besides, Reese loves the way you look. Even if you gained a pound or two, he'd never notice."

"Speaking of pounds, how big is that baby now, Charlene?" Mary Jo asked, peeking curiously at Charlene over the rim of her mug as she raised an eyebrow.

Charlene smiled excitedly, cocking her head and rubbing her stomach as she said, "About 7 pounds, the doctor told us when we went to our checkup the other day. She says I should be ready to go into labor in a few weeks, but our little girl is at a healthy weight and kicking away."

Mary Jo took a gulp of her coffee and asked, "How is Mavis by the way, she liking her new apartment? I hope she hasn't had any trouble with Dan since she and the kids left."

Charlene shook her head and set her cookie aside as she wiped her hands. "No _physical_ trouble, thank goodness, not anymore at least. He was pretty up in arms when he first realized she was gone, but now that the divorce is underway he's making her life hell in the courtroom instead of outside of it."

"I just feel so bad for her, I mean she's such a special person."

"Yeah, I know," Charlene said sadly, shaking her head, "it's just hard to believe isn't it?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, the whole...domestic violence thing. I mean, I've known Mavis and Dan for years and I never had any clue. It's just hard to understand; I mean the idea that something can happen right in front of you, so to speak, and you be too stupid to--"

Mary Jo shook her head. "Oh Charlene, stop it. That's ludicrous. You and Mavis are close, but you didn't see each other a lot while she was married, and it's not your fault. Anyway, if any one of us were being victimized, why, we'd know about it. There's no way it could happen to one of us and the others not know."

Suzanne looked up from her place on the sofa. "Yeah, Charlene, I mean, c'mon, we're not that stupid. You and I get teased all the time, no need to make it worse."

"SUZANNE" Mary Jo snapped, rolling her eyes.

Charlene rolled her eyes and looked over at Julia. "Julia...what do you think, was I foolish not to know?"

Julia looked up, pausing briefly before setting her pen on the desk and grabbing her mug as she got up to refill it. "No Charlene. These things happen all the time. Most victims of abuse have a hard time accepting what's happening, and an even harder time asking for help."

"I wonder why that is" Charlene said quietly, furrowing her brows.

"Because," Julia said as she rounded the counter and headed back to her desk, "most women feel...ashamed. The idea of telling everyone you know that you're being assaulted by the person you love is a terrifying one."

"What makes you think it's terrifying, Julia?" Anthony asked, leaning over the counter and grabbing another cookie.

"Well...because the next thing most people wonder is why you didn't leave, and why you chose to lie about what was happening" she replied simply, sliding her glasses back on her nose and looking down at her paperwork.

Anthony nodded thoughtfully as Mary Jo said, "That makes sense."

Suzanne turned half-way around and said over her shoulder, "Julia, for someone who's never been a victim of domestic violence, you sure act like you know the ins and outs of everything."

"I do not act like I do" Julia snapped.

"You do have an enviable relationship, Julia" Mary Jo said, looking playfully at her from across the room.

Julia tossed her hair over her shoulder and shifted subtly in her chair. "That's silly, Mary Jo. Reese and I have our problems like anyone else."

Mary Jo and Charlene exchanged teasing looks as they smirked at one another. "Oh, come on, Julia, you have the perfect guy and you know it. Nights out at fancy restaurants, waking up in his old mansion on the weekends..."

"That's not the topic of our conversation, Mary Jo. My point is only that, often, a victim can be the person sitting right in front of you and you'd never know it."

Anthony looked carefully at Julia and said half-teasingly, "Well, Julia, just remember, if Reese gets too rough, I have a couple of old cell mates who'd be more than happy to fix any problems."

Julia bit back a smirk and shot him a look as the others shook their heads. Charlene glanced at her watch and said, "Oh gosh, only a few more hours left in the day, I've got to get these invoices done."

"Yeah, I guess I should be getting back to my sketchbook" Mary Jo said wearily, hauling it out of her drawer and setting it resolutely on top of her desk.

"Those clients will be here soon, Julia" Charlene said, glancing over at her briefly before looking back down.

"Yes, yes, I remember" Julia said quietly, looking down at her thighs again.


	11. Chapter 11

"Could I please have the wedge salad?" Julia asked softly.

The lights of the restaurant were blissfully dim as she watched the waiter scribble her order onto his notepad, glancing briefly up at her to ask what kind of dressing she wanted.

"Blue cheese, please."

"Would you like cheese and croutons as well?"

Julia inhaled slowly and was about to say yes when Reese jokingly said, "That's an extra lap around the neighborhood for you, madam."

Julia smiled half-heartedly and shook her head. "No thank you" she replied, handing the menu back to the waiter.

"And for you sir?" the young man asked Reese.

"Well," Reese started, flipping open his menu, "I'll have the roasted quail and rice, with a side of broccolli. Top that side with some cheese, please."

The waiter nodded his head diligently, and gently took their menus before hurrying toward the kitchen to put in their orders. Julia leaned forward a bit and said quietly, "Have I really gained weight, Reese?"

Reese nodded his head, taking a sip of his champagne before he said, "Sure you have, darlin', that's why I'm here to keep you in check. You keep me in check, it's only fair."

"I do?" she asked softly, cocking her head as she studied him in confusion.

"Sure, darlin', why, think of all the times you've put your foot down about my working 'too much', that's your bone to pick."

Julia inhaled slowly, trying to formulate a reply before deciding against it and saying, "Well, I guess I might as well have myself something to drink. Alcohol is an appetite suppressant, you know."

Reese flagged down a waiter and Julia turned to him and said, "Whiskey on the rocks, please", fluffing her hair self-consciously and pulling at her blue silk dress.

Julia watched as the waiter walked off toward the bar, and slowly turned her eyes around the room. The dining area was rather dark, but lovely, with its dainty hanging lights half-illuminating the other customers. A large pothos plant was scaling a trellis in the corner of the room, and all the tables had a small green plant in the center, with lights surrounding the base of the pot it sat in.

The waiter returned, gently setting the tumbler of whiskey in front of Julia. She immediately downed it, feeling the sharp bite of it glide down her throat as she hummed with pleasure.

"Wonderful" she said, smiling up at Reese.

"Well good" he replied. They chatted idly for a few moments before their food arrived. Reese tucked a napkin into his shirt before digging into his quail, as Julia stabbed her fork into her salad, looking curiously at the rice and quail as she reached for the bottle of champagne that sat cooling in an ice bucket at the end of their table.

"How's that salad?" Reese asked curiously, raising his brows at her.

"Very good, your quail?"

"Excellent. Just what I need after a long day at work" he replied, shoving another bite into his mouth.

"Oh, I know, a long day always leaves me starving" she said, taking another bite of salad as she glanced again at his dinner.

"Anthony finally giving you a bit of breathing room?"

"Hmm?" Julia asked curiously, having put another serving of salad in her mouth.

Reese sat back, cocking his head as he wiped his mouth and took a sip of champagne. "Well, you know, with the way that he is with you. That's honestly what had me so hot under the collar about him sitting with you at the banquet; there's just something about the way he treats you--too appreciative."

"Too appreciative?"

Reese smirked slightly and cocked an eyebrow as he leaned forward a tad. "Well come on, darlin', you are quite sexy, need I remind you? It does not escape my attention that you attract a lot of...appreciative gazes everywhere we go."

Julia looked at Reese in confusion, furrowing her brow as she said, "Reese, I don't think Anthony feels that way about me. He's never indicated anything of the sort, and anyway, even if he did, I would think that you would trust me enough by now to know that I'm not some two-bit floozie who goes after any man who so much as breathes in her direction." She could feel herself getting heated, and shifted slightly so as to try to avert the anger that was rising in her.

"Julia, you don't have to get hysterical, I never said anything about trust. And anyway, you never extend the same courtesy to me."

Julia's mouth dropped open in surprise. "How on earth do I not extend the same courtesy to you?" she asked angrily.

"Well, remember that Scandinavian number that showed up at the hotel to babysit when we were on holiday last year? Why, you about nearly had a fit when she so much as glanced in my direction."

"You were drooling down your shirt over her."

"So was everyone else."

"Well what does that prove?!" Julia snapped, setting her fork down.

"That I have good taste" he replied simply, winking at her. "Of course I do, after all, I'm dating you aren't I?"

Julia scowled at him and took another bite of her salad, trying not to get any angrier since they were in public. "You're not funny, Reese" she said coolly, pushing her fork around and taking another sip of champagne.

Reese smirked and took a few bites of his dinner, watching as she shoved her empty salad bowl away and refilled her champagne glass, averting her gaze angrily and tugging at her dress.

He got up from his seat and slid around to her side of the table, kissing her intensely and looking deeply into her eyes. "Let's don't make a scene now, darlin'," he whispered, "I'd like to accompany you back to your home at the end of the evening."

Julia stiffened and looked at him sternly. "I'm not sure I want that, Reese" she said, nudging him with her shoulder and leaning away slightly.

Reese tightened his grip on her shoulders and slowly raised his hand so that it rested on the back of her neck, before squeezing firmly enough for her to let out a slight gasp of surprise.

"Don't be such a bitch, Julia" he said softly before pulling away from her and sliding back around to his side of the table, signaling the waiter for their check. As the waiter scurried off, Reese stood and said simply, "I should get on home, you sleep well darlin'" before tossing a twenty on the table to pay for his meal as he slid into his coat.

Julia fixed him with a firm, yet wavering gaze, and said softly, "You don't treat me very kindly, Reese."

Reese buttoned his coat and looked down at her, his eyes darkening before he replied, "Prove it."

With that, he was gone, and Julia fumbled awkwardly in her purse for the cash to cover her dinner--as well as the champagne and whiskey--before standing slowly and walking out into the dark Georgia night. She reached her home some 20 minutes later, pulling slowly in the driveway and walking inside, shutting the door behind her and locking it before walking into the kitchen and opening her liquor cabinet. She set two ice cubes in a glass tumbler and poured some whiskey into it, waiting until the glass was nearly full before walking slowly up the stairs and setting the glass on her nightstand, shrugging off her coat and hanging it on a hanger. She was about to unzip her dress when the sight of something glinting at the far end of her closet caught her eye. She pushed her other dresses out of the way to reveal the blue costume from the talent show from a year before, when she had played one of The Supremes alongside Charlene, Mary Jo, and Suzanne. The melody of the song they'd performed immediately crept into her head: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. She took the fabric gently between her fingers and toyed with it, before realizing that the dress was coming undone in her hands. She opened her fingers to see that the threads were giving way at the hem, and some of the sequins were stuck to her hand.

She thought to herself that it was unfortunate; the dress could never be worn again.


	12. Chapter 12

The door to Sugarbaker's opened and Anthony bounded inside, unzipping his coat and tossing it on the coat rack. The chilly autumn weather blew in after him, and he shut the door quickly to avoid letting the heat out, as he looked up and saw Julia sitting on the sofa.

"Hey Julia, how's it going?" he asked, walking passed her toward the kitchen and grabbing himself a few crackers and bits of cheese from the platter Charlene had put together before she left.

"Very well, Anthony. Charlene has gone out for a doctor's appointment, and Suzanne and Mary Jo are out meeting with a client for lunch."

"Lunch--there goes something I forgot about while running around today" he quipped, filling up a glass with water and walking slowly back toward the sofa.

"Anthony, you cannot seriously tell me you're eating cheese and crackers for lunch" Julia said, shaking her head and giggling as she looked back at her sketchbook and continued drawing.

Anthony cocked a brow at her. "Hey now, I'm a busy man, hauling around throw pillows and sofas. It's a dog eat dog world out there Julia, and someone's gotta take one for the team. I'm assuming that since you are questioning my dietary choices that you must have had an excellent lunch."

Julia looked up momentarily and threw him a sarcastic look. "Oh hush, Anthony. As a matter of fact, I wasn't hungry today, so I haven't had lunch, thank you very much."

Anthony watched as she scribbled on her paper, drawing, erasing, and re-drawing the breakfast nook she was working on. He carefully laid his now empty glass of water on the coffee table and looked at her before he asked, "Julia, can I ask you something?"

Julia looked up, confused for a moment, before removing her glasses and gently brushing her hair out of her face. "Well, of course, Anthony, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Anthony looked down for a moment, folding his hands in front of him as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He looked up at her and said, "Is everything going okay with Reese?"

Julia felt her head draw back in surprise, and hesitated before carefully removing her sketchbook from her lap and laying it on the coffee table along with her glasses. She furrowed her brow and said, "Of course, Anthony, what makes you ask something like that?"

An odd look crossed Anthony's face and Julia felt her throat tighten, and she quickly took in a deep breath and laid a hand on his arm. "Of course, I'm sorry. I know my behavior has probably been a little sub-par as of late. I promise I'm fine, really, I'm just overworked and tired. It's the story of my life--I just can never say no to anything!" she said quickly, letting out a forced giggle as she shook her head.

Anthony raised his brows at her and said, "Are you sure, Julia? Because I've seen you get overworked and tired before but--"

Before he could say anything else, the phone rang, and Julia quickly hopped up, walking over to Charlene's desk to answer it. "Sugarbaker's" she said confidently.

"Well, hello Julia" Reese said calmly on the other end of the line.

Julia felt her lip quiver momentarily before she clenched her teeth and said as politely as possible, "Hello Reese."

"Are you alone?" he asked, tapping a pen lightly on his desk as he waited for her to answer.

Julia stiffened , half-turning toward where Anthony was seated, her mind racing before she said, "Yes, yes I am."

Reese pondered this for a moment before leaning forward on his desk and reaching toward the Newton's cradle that sat about a foot away from him, grabbing the right end of it and letting it go, watching as the other end flew up in response and set the whole thing in motion. "You know, darlin', you sure were scrappy the other night. Don't you get too big for your britches now--you're too much woman for me!"

Her breath caught in her throat as Julia forced a smile and said, "I'm a little busy, right now, Reese, could I call you later? I've got a breakfast nook to finish for a client before the day's out."

Reese chuckled softly in her ear and nodded his head. "Why of course, Julia, I'll let you get on. Don't forget about me now" he said teasingly.

"Of course not" she said, eliciting a fake laugh and praying he would let her off the phone.

"Do one thing for me before you hang up" Reese said quietly.

"What's that, Reese?"

He paused before leaning back in his chair and saying, "Say hi to Anthony for me."

Before Julia could even react, he hung up the phone, smiling as he watched the Newton's cradle continue its motion on his desk, one end banging the other, causing the other to fly up and the whole motion to repeat continuously.

Julia hung up the phone with a shaky hand and looked over at Anthony, plastering a smile on her face as she walked back over to the sofa and sat down. "Reese says hi" she said simply, putting her glasses back on and returning to her work.

Before Anthony could say anything, the door opened and Mary Jo and Suzanne stepped inside, brushing the leaves off of their shoulders. "Some gorgeous weather out there" Mary Jo said happily, relieved that the summer's heat had finally tapered off.

"You're so morbid, Mary Jo," Suzanne said tersely, "everything out there is dyin' off, and you couldn't be more thrilled."

Mary Jo rolled her eyes as she dropped her purse on her desk. "That's ridiculous, Suzanne, I just enjoy a little cool weather. Dyin' off, that's ridiculous."

"Well everything out there is gloomy" Suzanne muttered, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Well everything in here is fine."


	13. Chapter 13

The small apartment door handle jiggled for a moment before it flew open and Mavis smiled happily at them, waving them inside. "Come on, come in, the girls are in school so this is a great time for y'all to stop by."

Charlene hugged her firmly and said, "Well, we just couldn't be happier for you Mavis. Why, you're lookin' wonderful, the girls are doing so well--"

"Oh, they're giving me a run for my money, but I do love them!" Mavis said happily.

"I hope we can get this place done quickly for you. I know it's only a rental so we can't do much, but we can still add a few homey touches for y'all, free of charge of course."

"Oh, Charlene, you all do not have to do this--"

Charlene shook her head resolutely. "No, no Mavis, now we're not going to argue about this. Julia was the one who suggested it when I told her I wanted to spruce up your place for ya, so here we are whether you like it or not."

"That's right," Mary Jo said emphatically, "any friend of Charlene's is a friend of ours."

Mavis felt her bottom lip quiver slightly and wrapped her arms around Charlene, Mary Jo, and Suzanne. "I can't thank you all enough, really. I'm really beginning to believe I have a future. I've got to thank Julia as well, where did she get off to?"

Mary Jo looked around, furrowing her brow slightly. "She must've wandered off--Julia!" she called loudly.

Julia came walking back around the corner, smiling at Mavis sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Mavis, I got away from the group so to speak. I was just peeking at that picture of you and the girls, they are absolutely adorable."

Mavis smiled happily as she looked at the small, framed photograph that sat atop the coffee table in her living room. "Oh, thank you, they're gettin' bigger everyday" she said as she smiled up at Julia.

"Say Julia, I believe you and Mavis have something of a connection!" Charlene chirped happily.

Julia felt herself stiffen slightly and furrowed her brow. "We do?" she asked softly.

Charlene grinned as she looked down at Mavis. "Mavis knows Reese, he represented her cousin a few years ago, helped him get his Mama's will settled before she passed away."

"He's a fantastic guy, you're so lucky to have found him" Mavis said kindly, squeezing Julia's hand gently.

Julia inhaled slowly and smiled, nodding her head uneasily and saying, "Well, well thank you, that's very kind."

Mary Jo nudged Mavis jokingly and quipped, "That's the woman that has everything. So modest."

Julia laughed halfheartedly and looked around as she said, "Well, should we get started?"

"Of course, of course, don't let me keep you" Mavis said, waving her hands, "y'all want anything to drink, I've got tea and coffee."

"Nonsense," Charlene said, "you just go on about your business and don't fuss over us."

Julia grabbed her things and wandered off to the girls room, opening the door to the small bedroom they shared and slowly unpacking the glittery throw pillows and downy baby blanket she'd brought with her for Mavis' girls and the new baby, who'd been born only a few months after she'd left Dan. She laid the blanket in the crib in Mavis' bedroom, then returned to the girls room and began gently laying the pillows atop their small wooden-framed beds, the glittery sequins adding a girly touch that had been sparse before. She grabbed a small, wood framed picture from her bag and hung it on the wall using a small push pin to hold it up; she knew no apartment would allow nails in their walls, but a push pin hole was easy to cover up.

She stepped back, surveying her work when the sight of the pond outside the window caught her eye. She heard Mavis come into the room and Julia turned, slightly startled.

"That's a gorgeous pond isn't it?" she said happily, stopping beside Julia.

"It is" Julia agreed good-naturedly, looking briefly at Mavis before looking back at the pond.

"I couldn't believe it when we got the apartment. You know, the rent's so cheap but the pond is just massive, it makes it feel like I'm living large, so to speak" Mavis said, giggling and shaking her head.

"I bet the girls love it."

"Oh they do, always want to go swimming in it, even with the chill outside!"

Julia stared thoughtfully at the pond as Mavis turned and walked back out of the bedroom, her footsteps retreating down the hall and back to the living room.

Julia thought her description of the pond was interesting, particularly because it was not entirely accurate. When she'd crossed the bridge on the way over here, she'd gotten a good look at that pond and noticed that it was pretty, but rather small. Looking out of the girls room, with it's window sitting perpendicular to the pond, the distance and the view made it look so much bigger than what it was.

She thought to herself that it was amazing how much perception changes things.

~~~~

_Between the velvet lies_   
_There's a truth that's hard as steel_

_[...]_

_Holy diver, soul survivor_   
_You're the one who's clean_


End file.
